Head Over Heels
by Kanata Saionji
Summary: Chapter 12 up! A little trip to the Saionji Temple will have its fair share of revelations and decisions. Sorry if it's a bit sloppy since it's been quite some time since I last wrote anything. Do review folks!
1. The Proposal

**Head Over Heals**

"_In the arithmetic of Love, one plus one equals everything and two minus one equals nothing"_

**Intro**

_Falling in Love…_

_My opinion on love…?_

_Well…_

_It's a total piece of _crap!

_One minute you think that you're head-over-heels in love with one person when suddenly…_

_BHAM!_

_You shamelessly fall in love with an entirely different person and claim that the second person is the love of your life but you don't have the heart to part from the first love…_

_Total crap, right…?_

…

…

_My Love Story isn't that far away from that theory that I just mentioned…_

_So you can obviously guess now the reason as to why I tend to call that stupid Cupid as one mindless _nutcase!_ A job-less freelancer having nothing to do but toy with people's hearts and lives to the extent that life itself is worth nothing…_

_After all, who in their right mind would fall for a woman whom he met that too on the night he proposed to his girl-friend!_

_Pretty twisted, eh…?_

_After all, Cupid _is_ a nutcase… What less can you expect out of someone who spent their eternal lifetime rejoicing in splitting people up…?_

…

…

_So, what is with my twisted Love story…?_

_Well, everything has a beginning, right…?_

_It all started that fateful night when I decided, against all my better judgments, to ask my six-month-girlfriend's hand in holy matrimony._

**Chapter 1**

**The Proposal**

I sat across the small candle-lit table, trying my hardest to try and listen at least a word of what the woman sitting across of me was saying but only in vain for the small velvet box containing a single diamond ring weighed against my chest as it rested in my inner-pocket of my black suit.

So… okay…

Guys everywhere around the world propose to women and at the least 50% (or sometimes even more) of these daily proposals gets accepted, right…?

Then, what the freaking hell am I so scared for…?

_Not that I'll admit that though…_

Oh yeah…

The answer is pretty simple…

_I'M NOT READY!_

Seriously, I must be nuts to be doing this. A year ago, I would not have even thought about getting married to a woman who I've known for a little more than six months. I was sure the Kanata Saionji back then would have sniggered if he had seen the now me getting nervous just because of a woman.

The waiter brought us two glasses and poured us champagne. She frowned as one of her beautiful smiles adorned her confused face.

"Are we celebrating something?" she asked, as the waiter left with a short bow.

I looked at her. I was pretty damn sure that none of the nervousness or fear that I was facing inside could be seen by her but that certainly didn't help me in any way at all. I should be able to do this, right…?

Not that I was afraid that she was goanna say 'no'…

The thing is….

I was afraid that she might say 'yes'…

"Kijoyu…" I choked out, making her frown deepen, "err… I mean, Akira… Akira…"

_Man! Why am I repeating her name…?_

She looked genuinely confused.

I breathed out in exasperation and sighed.

"What's wrong Kanata…?" she asked, worried.

I shook my head robotically and then taking a deep breath got to my feet. She blinked, almost shocked at my sudden actions.

Before I could even think about running away, I pulled out the small velvet box and kneeled before her, all pride forgotten. I gulped and wished that she wouldn't sense the fear that was swelling inside of me right now.

She merely gasped, placing her hands over her mouth.

I really can't understand why she was so surprised. She practically pointed me the jewelry shop the other day and went on and on about how beautiful engagement rings are at that particular shop. I should seriously not say that out loud!

All those hours I wasted in front of the mirror, practicing my proposal, all that came out at that moment was just two words… and it didn't come out too well either.

"W-W-Will you…?" I asked, possibly turning crimson out of embarrassment.

I was taken a little aback when she started to shed tears. I blinked.

Did I do something wrong…?

Damn it! I knew it was the wrong kind of ring!

But before I even brought myself up to apologizing, she nodded her head, still crying.

"Eh?"

"Yes," she said, through her tears, beaming nonetheless.

"Y-Yes..?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"A thousand times," she said, smiling and the next second, all I could see was black as her hair blew over my face as she hugged me out of the blue.

A few seconds later, we stood up straight a little gingerly and I slipped the diamond ring through her ring finger. She beamed at me again and we kissed only to hear the others in the restaurant break into applause.

Seems like a perfect proposal, right…? A nervous guy… a champagne… a beautiful diamond ring… an even more beautiful woman… a million-dollar question… an answer with a single syllable that sent chills down everyone's spines…

Perfect, right…?

Well… Perfect, if you didn't count the guy upstairs screwing things up for you that is…

"Akira…?"

Say 'hello' to the gasp that changed my life…

We both turned and either of us had a different emotion on our faces. I frowned having never laid eyes on the guy with the ash-green hair before. But, I noticed quickly, the woman standing beside me—my _fiancée—_had utter shock in her azure orbs.

"Mizuki…?"

You'd think it's weird to have to witness two people gasp each other's name's in the middle of a restaurant. But if you were to see that it their point of view, it would be like watching a movie… Serendipity playing its games… This is kinda how most romantically twisted movies go, right?

"Akira…" I called under my breath.

She looked at me as though she _just _noticed that I'm here.

That's gotta hurt, right?

You ask a girl to marry you… She says yes… and few minutes later, she looks at you like you never existed.

"Kanata, this is… err… this is…" she started to stutter.

I raised my eyebrows.

You have to know this. My face doesn't work real well, so none of the irritation and confusion that I endure inside was shown to her… not even a blip.

"Mizuki Yamamura," said the guy, giving me a hand with a warm smile in place, "I'm a friend of Akira..."

I could never return that smile for a reason I had no idea of.

But I did give him a hand as I said in my most monotonous voice, "Kanata Saionji… I'm her fiancé."

He smiled again and there was an obvious and notable change in it. At the last word even Akira cringed a little. I was quick to notice but she masked it well with one of her smiles.

It was at that moment that another voice joined our little conversation.

"Mizuki…?"

I was starting to get a little annoyed at the sound of his name and I was sure I was going to learn the reason later.

An emerald-eyed blonde emerged from behind the guy, a confused and nervous look in her eyes. Mizuki gave the look that Akira had given me a while ago—a look that clearly stated that he had completely forgotten that she was there.

I grimaced.

"Oh ya…" he said, gulping lightly and completely avoiding my fiancée's eyes although his statement was directed at her, "this is my wife…"

"Hi," the blonde said with a smile at us both, "I'm Miyu Yamamura…"

I glanced at Akira and at once wished I hadn't for the look in her eyes was not what I deserved on the night we got engaged.

She was sad…

No, sad would be an understatement…

She failed to even say a word.

I gritted my teeth and then taking a breath, extended my hand to the blonde, "Kanata Saionji…"

She smiled at me.

"I know," she said.

**End Chapter 1**


	2. The Smile

_"Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up"_

**Head Over Heels**

I had to stifle a yawn as I sat down at my desk at the staff room, massaging the back of my neck lightly. I leaned back on the comfortable cushion chair and closed my eyes to relax. I didn't have to check the time to know that my next class starts in about ten minutes but by merely knowing that tiny fact was not helpful to me at all.

I opened my eyes and stretched my arms, trying to rid of the tension and tiredness that had built up inside of me these past few days. I got to my feet and rummaged around my desk to pick up the test paper results for last week's Algebra test.

I yawned with the fingers of my right hand before my mouth as I lazily walked out of the staff room, not in the slightest mood to teach right now but… duty calls. Besides, I know for a fact that the students would be lazier than usual being it the last class for the week and all…

"Saionji-sensei!" chirped a girl as I stepped out of the staff room.

…or maybe not…

"Sawada," I acknowledged hoping that I didn't screw up with the name, "shouldn't you be at class… I'm coming over right now".

I had no idea what I said wrong but the next second, she went a really dark shade of crimson as though she suddenly got a very high fever.

"Are you alright Sawada?" I asked her, wondering what went wrong today.

Before I could even react or suggest her to go to the nurse's office, she forced to my face a letter—a letter that was even more red than her face, a weird scent emitting off of its body.

She forced it on my hands and rushed away.

I stood there, dumbstruck for a few minutes, unable to react in any way.

It was then that _she_ passed by.

"Saionji-san," her warm voice sounded a little more cheerful than it should be allowed, "Aren't you late for your class…?"

I couldn't bring myself to spare the blonde a glance but she certainly was able to spare the crimson envelope in my hand more than just a glance.

"Don't tell me," she started gleefully, all teachers-code forgotten (wait… is there even one?) "You got a _love-letter _from a student?"

_Now_, I spared her a glance… more like a glare to be more precise.

**Chapter 02**

**The Smile**

I never thought that in my life I would come across a woman who was more annoying than Christine Hanakomachi, a classmate from Elementary through High School and an avid fan (you know who I'm talking about, right?).

But that was before I met Miyu Yamamura.

I had made a really bad assumption that evening when she said 'I know' back at the restaurant that she had probably just listened to our earlier conversation between me and her husband.

But unfortunately no…

She worked at Keiko-Tama Private School as the English Professor for Middle School Division.

Guess who works as the Math Professor for the High School Division…?

"_Dear Saionji-sensei_," read the blonde, absolutely irritating me to my very last limits as she read the letter of confession that one of my students had bestowed upon me about an hour ago.

"Do you have to read it?" I asked as she went into the second paragraph of the letter, as I began to realize that it was starting to get a little embarrassing.

"But it's so _cute_," she said, casting me her carefree smile, "especially this part… _'My equation shall be incomplete without your presence Saionji-sensei…'_"

"What's so cute about that?" I snapped.

She smiled again as she gave me back the letter and asked, "How was she at her class?"

I shrugged.

Honestly, I tried my best to not cast Sawada even one look just to make sure that she didn't get the wrong idea.

"I really don't understand though…" I wondered out loud as I took my belongings from my desk, "everybody knows that I'm engaged now… I _made _sure of that…"

She looked at me disbelievingly.

I pursed my lips and wished I hadn't said that out loud.

The rays of the setting sun passed through the many windows at the staff room, illuminating the entire room and also her in the process, as she started to laugh, her laugh to be the only sound heard in that empty room and only for me to hear.

**Head Over Heels**

"Just get in," I said as I tried my best to look irritated while my fingers played silently along the edges of the steering wheel, "I'll drop you…"

"It's alright," she said, leaning lightly so that she came in level to the front seat window to my car, "I'll manage…"

I sighed as I said lightly, "Just so you know, I'm not doing this because I'm a nice guy… I'm just returning a favor".

"I just gave you back a letter which turned out to be feed to your paper shredder," she pointed out with a smile, "there's nothing much for you to return a favor, Saionji-san…"

"If you had to wait an entire period for it," I said with my calm face on, "then yes… I do have a favor to return…"

She shook her head at my implacability but nonetheless opened the back door to my Mazda Demio Casual gently and let herself slide through the gap and sat down on the comfortable cushion, a smile in place.

I revved the car and we were in motion. We travelled in silence for about an entire ten minutes but I had to break it to ask her where she lived.

"Err…" she seemed a bit confused as she opened the window to her left and slightly poked her head out and from what I saw in the rear view mirror, she was scrunching her eyes, trying to figure out exactly where we were.

"Just tell me where you live," I said, masking my amusement with a voice tainted with pure irritation.

She told me her address in a small voice which did not fail to hide the annoyance that I had caused her. I had to use all my reserve control over my lips as they threatened to lift upwards at the way she held her face.

A few more silent moments passed inside my car, as I continued to drive towards her place and she continued her obvious irritation that she felt towards me… or so I assumed anyway.

"Did you ask Kijoyu-chan to marry you just to avoid those girls?" she asked so abruptly that I accidently hit the brakes.

Starting the car again I said in a low voice, "No…"

I noticed that she was about to ask me yet another question so I said, "…asking her to be my girlfriend was".

She nodded her head knowingly.

I shook my head lightly to rid of the memory back to the look in my fiancé—Akira Kijoyu's face that night when the woman currently sitting behind me was introduced to her by the latter's husband.

"Have you always been this popular?"

"_Another _question…?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Should I take that as a yes?" she asked cheerfully, her smile yet again playing across her lips.

I sighed and said lazily, "unfortunately…"

She smirked this time as she said wisely, "fortune always seems to follow those who seldom need it".

"What part of _'unfortunately…' _did you decipher as '_fortune'_…?" I asked disbelievingly, my mouth agape.

She chuckled and said, "Some guys would say that being popular among girls is fortunate…"

"I'm _not _one of those guys," I muttered under my breath.

She smiled again as she said, "I guessed that much".

More silence followed.

"So, how did you and Akira meet?" she asked lightly.

"Mutual friend," I replied indifferently.

"Oh…"

She was a little silent for a while.

Maybe I just got too used to her talking and all but I felt somewhat weird when she suddenly stopped with her constant rants and queries. So, I decided to ask one myself.

"How did you and your husband end up together?" I asked as I stopped the car at the address that she had pointed out to me at the start of our ride.

She stiffened lightly but got out of the car without a word. I couldn't help but wonder if I had said something wrong as her silence continued.

She leaned at the front window again.

I reeled the windows down to look at her smiling face.

"Accident," she said with her smile still in place.

I blinked, as confusion spread throughout my head.

"Thanks for the ride Saionji-san," she added before giving me another one of her smiles and made her way towards her house.

I sat there, watching her retreating back, a stunned expression in my face for sure for that was how I felt inside.

It was then that I realized that she was hiding a lot behind that smile of hers.

**End Chapter 02**

**A/N: **_Hey there... I really knew it was a bad idea to start a new story with many still incomplete... I really do apologize for my act... T_T I really can't help it these days... Hope you'll cope up with me..._

_****__Suicide is man's way of telling God, "You can't fire me - I quit." _

_****__~Bill Maher_  



	3. The Accident

**Head Over Heals**

It was another Sunday morning, I thought as I got out of my bed and yawning, pulled on my tracks. I stole a glance at the beautiful raven-haired lass who was still sound-asleep beside me.

My eyes landed momentarily on the diamond ring, which decorated her slender finger before settling on her peaceful face. I sighed for no apparent reason and made my way towards the bathroom, stretching in the process.

After quickly brushing my teeth, I was in the kitchen making waffles and warming some milk for the two of us. I was just getting the toast out of the toaster when she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes, obviously still half-asleep.

"Good morning," she said and pecked my cheek gently from behind and took her usual seat at the table, waiting for her breakfast.

One can easily ask why I was doing the cooking whilst she gets to sleep in late...

Because it's a Sunday—the only day she gets to stay home and have breakfast.

She works as an assistant to an editor at a fashion magazine and her work calls her to be at the office before her boss—a menacing lady in her late fifties—could even get out of her house. But the devil-boss of hers is a little empathetic when it comes to weekends and lets everybody get a day off on Sundays.

And making breakfast for her on such rare occasions is my way of showing how much I care about her... or so I say...

She always says it's my way of saying "thanks" for last night...

Women…

**Chapter 03**

**The Accident**

I placed before her a plate of her breakfast and got started on my own, with tea in one hand and pulling out the newspaper in the other.

Though I didn't see her at it, I sensed that she was glancing at me every three seconds as though there was something she wanted to ask me but didn't have the nerve to do it.

It was not until that I was done with half of my breakfast that she finally spoke. But she was merely making small talk and was not up to the point that was making her nervous at all.

"So, how's school coming along?" she asked lightly.

"It's okay," I answered vaguely and asked, "When's that party that your magazine is throwing again?"

She looked a little confused at my sudden query but relaxing a little replied, "In two weeks I think... Why do you ask?"

"Well," I replied, finally finishing my breakfast, "I spoke with Hikarigaoka yesterday and I asked him to make you a dress for the occasion... he asked where his deadline stands..."

"Oh," she said, sipping her coffee, and then suddenly added, "Could you also tell him that this time I want it in lime green…?"

I almost choked in my last sip of tea.

Akira frowned lightly at my sudden act but didn't ask anything.

I continued with the tea silently wondering how I was going to explain to Nozomu to change the color of one of his dresses from crimson to jade in two weeks.

"You would be coming to the party, right?" she asked abruptly, breaking me from my own thoughts.

I pondered on that for a while.

I absolutely _despised _her office parties.

Not only do I have to endure being paraded around the party hall being introduced as one of Mrs. Fabray's assistant's boyfriend, I have to take in every flirt, every wink, every number that comes my way just to make sure that Akira doesn't get fired just because I'm too cocky.

My first shock had come in my very first presence at her office party only to get Mrs. Fabray's hand on my shoulder and a slip through my jacket pocket, which I later found out, contained her personal number.

"I think I'll pass on this one," I said in a choked voice.

"Mrs. Fabray would be really mad if I didn't bring you along," she said at once, her face changing to form a pained look.

"Isn't there a **Mr. **Fabray?" I asked the question that had been in my mind ever since my first meeting with this devilish lady.

"Dead," said Akira simply, taking both of our plates and starting on washing it, "five years ago…"

"Did she kill him?" I asked almost immediately.

Akira chuckled and said, "I hope not… but sources say that's 87% true…"

I smiled darkly.

I watched as she washed the dishes, her hair flowing freely over the blue T-shirt that once belonged to me. I leaned my chin on my palm whose knee rested on the table and continued to stare at her, profoundly.

It has been more than a week since the two of us got engaged. I have to admit that there has been a remarkable change in the way she looks at me but even more remarkable is the fact that she had suddenly started to subscribe for bridal magazines.

Although in every manner she behaves like every other newly engaged girl does, there was something different.

There was one time when I was early off of work and came into our room to find her sitting atop the bed, what seemed like a frame in hand, her eyes a little bloodshot and her face wet. When she noticed that I was back she had hastily brushed off her obvious tears and placed the photo-frame into her closet.

I never asked her about it and didn't dare barge into her closet without permission.

"Does Miyu-chan work with you at the school…?"

That was unexpected…

"Yamamura…?" I asked nonplussed wondering when she started using her first name.

She winced at the name but nodded nonetheless, her back still facing me.

"Yea," I replied vaguely, leaning back on my chair, "she works at the Middle School Division… English, I think…"

I heard Akira purse her lips as she finally finished the dishes.

"How do you know Yamamura from?"

The question had escaped my lips before I even could consider if she'd really answer it or not.

She looked a little surprised at my question but didn't answer.

"You don't have to answer," I said in a small voice though I really wanted her to.

I really wanted to know who this guy is… especially to her…

She looked at me and then bit her lower lip, as though debating whether to tell me or not and by the looks of it, she would obviously choose the latter.

"Mizuki-kun is…" she started.

I gave her a steely glance, my face betraying none of my actual emotions and fears.

She breathed out and said, "My ex-boyfriend…"

I raised my eyebrows.

But inside, I was practically screaming.

Sure… I half-expected this after all of her tears and nervousness but I really hoped that it wouldn't be true.

"Oh," I responded, not knowing what else to say.

Maybe she interpreted my "oh" as somewhat close to "go on" for she continued.

"We started dating since last year of High School," she said lightly, "we continued till a year and a half ago…"

I listened tentatively wondering when the blonde was going to enter the scene and change everything.

"It was then that we broke things off because he was forced into marrying a family friend's daughter…"

"Why?" I asked before I could stop myself.

She smiled grimly as she said, "there was an accident…"

That word ringed a bell in my mind…

"_Accident," she said smiling._

"Both her parents and her little brother died in a train accident back in Chicago," continued Akira, "her only guardian is Mizuki-kun's elder sister…"

"I still don't understand why they had to get married," I wondered out loud.

"Neither do I," she replied, her eyes a little unfocussed, "it all happened like a whirlwind… it seemed absolutely necessary in Mikan-chan's eyes that they two get married".

"Who…?"

"Mizuki-kun's elder sister…"

"He didn't protest?" I asked.

Akira gave me a wry smile and then quickly changed the subject, "I hear there's a nice Chinese restaurant a block from the supermarket…"

I raised my eyebrows.

"Why don't we catch a movie and go out for lunch there?" she asked with a sudden burst of enthusiasm.

I nodded without an afterthought.

I knew that she wanted to go out and not be reminded about Yamamura again… especially by me. But I'm sure she didn't know that I wanted the same…

I don't want to be reminded of Yamamura again… especially by her…

"What movie shall we watch?" I asked although there was a far more pressing question waiting but which I could never ask out of fear of the answer that she might give me.

"_Are you still in love with Yamamura?"_

"_Are you still in love with him, Akira?"_

It was then that it hit me (almost painfully) that Akira was never in terms with Miyu Yamamura to call her by her first name…

She just couldn't bring herself to call her as "Mrs. Yamamura".

—**Head Over Heels—**

_End Chapter 03_


	4. The Date

"_Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up"_

_**Yo! Everybody…! I wanna dedicate this chapter to my good friend Emily who's currently sick… :( I hope you can take at the least one second to wish for her quick and complete recovery… **_

_**Thank you... :)**_

—**Head Over Heels—**

"So, I take it that you know what happened…"

"What?" I asked, utterly confused.

Her emerald eyes said a thousand words as they pierced through my amber ones, making me feel guiltier than I'm actually supposed to feel.

"Fine…" I said, raising my arms signifying defeat, "Akira told me about you and Yamamura…" and with an afterthought added, "And the accident…"

She nodded thoughtfully and resumed to look through a set of papers that she was halfway through grading.

Breathing a sigh of relief for having escaped from any awkward phrases from her, I started on my own test papers wondering how long it would take for me to get them done and leave for home.

"How come you don't go home and do it like everybody else?" she asked me without paying me any attention, her emerald eyes fixated on the papers, the pen in her hand gracefully moving across them.

"I don't like carrying them to my apartment," I replied, for some reason finding it really hard to maintain my composure.

A few seconds passed after which I asked, "how come _you_ don't…?"

I know she started out at the school only a week or two ago and ever since then I noticed her staying behind on days when there was something to do like grading papers, marking attendance, detention duty, etcetera.

"I like it here," she said simply.

With that both of us continued to grade our respective papers as the sun slowly started to set outside the building. The rays of the setting sun began to spread through the staff room, illuminating it beyond what electrical lighting can do these days.

I didn't know what made me do it but I couldn't help but glance her way every few minutes. I forced myself to look and concentrate on the papers before me but I still could catch a glimpse of her no matter what.

"Do you wanna go out for burger or something?" her sudden query made me practically jump off my chair, "my treat…!"

One look into her face and I found myself saying, "Sure…"

She smiled.

**Chapter 04**

**The "Date"**

I stared at her as she slurped her vanilla milk shake chirpily.

"Aren't you goanna start yours?" she asked, her smile still intact.

I nodded lightly and brought the veggie burger I ordered to my mouth, my eyes not leaving her face all the while. I slowly munched it, wondering why on earth she was this cheerful.

After around five to ten minutes later, she spoke.

"Thanks Saionji-kun," she said smiling—a smile that reached her eyes.

Oblivious to the fact that she had changed the horrific, I asked lightly, "For what am I being thanked again…?"

Her smile widened as she said, "for being here with me… I thought for sure that you would decline…"

So did I…!

"It can get a little boring correcting those papers…" I said with a shrug.

She sighed as she acknowledged, "Yea… it can…" but added with a giggle, "but it's always nice to read what the kids have written you know…"

"I take it that you like this teaching profession…" I said swallowing my last bite as my lips lifted upward on their own accord.

"Absolutely," she chirped.

"How long have you been in it?"

"Just two weeks," she replied cheerfully, "but I really wish it had been more…"

"Which university did you get your English Major?" I asked.

"This is starting to sound more and more like my interview at the School," she said chuckling.

Blood began to rise to my face.

I brushed it off by pushing my hand into my brunet locks, my eyes wandering away from hers as her chuckle began to develop into fits of giggles.

"There's no need to laugh," I said, trying to feign anger when embarrassment was the clear choice for my face.

"I'm not laughing," she lied while trying to control another set of fresh giggles that began to break her defenses.

Before I knew what I was doing, I chuckled as well which soon turned to laughter.

It was then that I learned that when there is someone to laugh with you, your laughter is sure to attract the attention of people nearby… sometimes even the waitress to ask you to "shove-it" in the most polite manner possible…

It is most amazing that I laughed so hard for something that wasn't even much of a joke.

—**Head Over Heels—**

"How did you know?"

"Know what…?" she asked, looking away from the rain that was unexpectedly pouring down on us.

I drummed my fingers along the steering wheel for traffic to clear up as I asked her, "You know… How did you know that I knew…?"

"You are easily readable," she said smiling.

I gaped at her.

"Get outta here!" I said, unable to believe my ears.

"What…?" she asked, her face torn between amusement and surprise.

All my life, people starting from my parents to my girl-friend/fiancée had told me how _un_readable I really am and here sits a girl who I haven't known for more than a week and she says that I'm easily readable.

"Seriously…?" I asked under my breath as the signal turned to green and we slowly started to move, the rain still pouring down heavily.

"Yea…" she said, "one look at your face this morning and I was so sure that you knew what happened… and that is saying something seeing as how bad I am at that…"

Her chuckle just worsened things.

It was the weirdest things that ever happened to me.

How could someone who can seldom read faces read my face—a face that people had marked out as one which was devoid of showing any kind of reactions when need calls for it…?

I glanced sideways from time to time only to find the blonde busy playing with the drops of rain that fell through the window and onto her face, into the car. For some reason I didn't feel like asking her to shut the windows but felt more like watching her at it…

"What were you doing before joining the school…?" I asked her, trying to make small talk.

She took a moment to answer.

Then, she turned to face me and smiling replied, "Mourning their death…"

I couldn't believe she was smiling when she said it. Somewhere along my left chest, I felt something cringe deep within.

"Did you learn to smile like that…?" I asked before I could stop myself, "or is it like an in-born talent…?"

She responded with yet another smile.

I sighed in defeat and began to slow down a bit as the rain began to pour down even harder. I wondered if I would manage dropping her off at her house and making it safely back to the apartment.

"It's what Ruu always does".

I gave her a concerned look.

"My little brother," she said and I saw tears along the edges of her emerald irises, "he always smiles… no matter what… he says that if I cry and frown all the time, I'd look even uglier than I actually am…"

She chuckled at the end but I felt no need of humor at this part.

I had no idea how to respond to that at all.

But I didn't have to for she abruptly changed the subject.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today," she said with a smile.

"You can stop thanking me," I said, sensing quick warmth spreading along my cheeks.

She laughed lightly and said, "Still… I haven't laughed like that for some time now… actually, I really can't remember hanging out with anyone since the day I came to Japan…"

"You don't spend time out with your husband?" I asked lightly as I took a turn that would lead me straight to her house.

"He's way too busy at the firm," she responded vaguely, "the only time I went out with him was that dinner where we met… we were supposed to be celebrating my appointment at the school… according to Mikan-neesan anyway…"

"I'd say that you were celebrating getting out of the house," I said in a monotonous voice.

"Of course," she replied with a grin, "but too bad I had to run into you…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked at once.

She laughed again before saying, "you almost made me go back into the house again and lock myself up".

"Why…?" I asked as I stopped the car before her house.

She leaned back on the chair before replying, "Well… the headmistress mentioned you, after my interview was over, seeing as my cubicle was right next to yours…

"Well, with the way she mentioned you, I imagined you to be this flawless handsome guy who always smiled for the benefit of the ladies surrounding you," she finished with another smile.

"So, what part of that is not true?" I asked, a smirk playing across my lips, unannounced.

She gave me a crooked smile before getting off the car.

I thought she'll leave without responding but yet again she made my assumptions go wrong as she leaned over the window and said with a smile, "definitely not the handsome part…"

This time I was not going to let her make my face warmer than usual.

So I replied, "Then I guess I'm obliged to say that you're not that ugly…"

I smiled at her nonplussed face before driving off with a quick wave of my hand indicating a "bye…! See ya…"

It was when I walked settled into the bathtub, for a warm and long bath did I realize that today, she had taken the front seat and not the back.

I went a little deep into the warm water, my mind suddenly filled with thoughts of the blonde. I tried to shake it away but it kept coming and coming.

Her smile was the thing that suddenly started to haunt my mind the most.

I slid down deeper as bubbles erupted from my mouth as I said, "Why am I thinking about her…?"

I closed my eyes, only to see her smile again.

"Damn…"

—Head Over Heels—**End Chapter 04**

**A/N: **_So… How was it…? Any improvement…? I'm really sorry guys but unfortunately I think most of the story goes only in the brunet's point of view… I hope you can tolerate it enough till the end where we __**might **__finally get to see into Miyu's head… ;)_

"_Life is not a Final._

_It's the daily Pop quizzes"_


	5. The Pay Back

_"No man is truly married until he understands every word his wife is NOT saying."_

**—Head Over Heels—**

"Where were you after school yesterday, Kanata?"

I had to stifle a yawn as I turned to my other side and came face-to-face with my fiancé—Akira Kijoyu. I was surprised to see her face being decorated with a frown—something I hardly have to face.

"Isn't it a little too late to ask these questions?" I asked as I took my cell phone from the bedside cabinet and scrunching my eyes to defend them from the light that my mobile emitted.

"Jesus!" I gasped placing the mobile back at its place, "it's almost midnight Akira… I have an early day tomorrow…"

"That's why this is important," she said, squatting herself atop the bed much to my dismay.

"What has that got to do with the teacher's meeting tomorrow?" I asked, getting up, "…or should I say _today?"_

She rolled her eyes at me.

I sat bolt upright.

I could not believe she rolled her eyes at me!

What the hell did I do wrong?

"Just tell me… where _were_ you…?" she asked again, slight irritation creeping along her voice.

I frowned, thinking back to yesterday.

"Do you wanna go out for burger or something?"

"I went out for a burger with Mi… I mean Yamamura-chan".

I couldn't believe I almost used her first name. I never call girls by their first name. It had taken almost six months for me to call Akira by her first name.

By the looks of it, I'm guessing the same thought was going through Akira's mind as well for she positively glared at me which I could make out even in the dim light in our room.

This is certainly not good.

"You were on a _date_ with her?"

**Chapter 05**

**The Pay-Back**

"_What?"_

"Were you on a date with her Kanata?"

I took a moment to respond for the question had come totally out of the blue.

"What?" I gasped, "of course not!"

She raised her eyebrows.

I sighed and said, "Akira… we were grading test papers together and she suggested going out for burgers… I was too hungry to decline… I dropped her at her place and came back here… what's the problem in that…?"

I couldn't believe I was actually explaining something to her… explaining something about _her…_

I watched as Akira inhaled deeply and then breathed out.

It was the breathing routine that her meditation guru had taught a few months back when the latter was having trouble concentrating on her work and not plotting to kill Fabray.

Wait… is she planning to _kill _me…?

"I swear…" I started a little nervous but was cut short when Akira wrapped her arms around my neck and edged closer to me, surprising me to no ends.

"Kanata…" she whispered on my lips and I felt chills run down my spine as she muttered my name in that husky voice.

"Yeah…?" I asked, pursing my lips.

She placed her lips atop mine and bestowed me with one of her electrifying kisses. I was surprised, sure… but that didn't mean I wasn't going to kiss back.

"Don't," she said with her lips still against mine, "don't let her take you away from me Kanata…"

This was when I pulled away.

"What…?"

She gave me a smile that I recognized from most Saturday nights and jumped on me with all due grace and warmth.

"I thought you said we don't do it unless it's a Saturday night," I asked between her rapid kisses.

"Things change".

**—Head Over Heels—**

I yawned widely as I sat there at the long table, waiting for the Keiko-Tama Private School's Headmistress to finish her lecture on the recent test performance of the students of Middle School and High School at large and how everything seemed to be _our _fault.

My eyelids seemed heavier than usual as I tried to keep them open but just thinking about the long hours of classes still left at hand, they seemed to get heavier.

I couldn't believe that I hardly got any sleep last night. By the time we were done and I fell asleep, it was already two or something and in what felt like I had slept for less than two minutes when my alarm for 5' O clock chimed, waking me up for the meeting that was scheduled at 6AM.

I seriously wished that they would change the headmistress cause these early morning meetings that Miss Ai Tetsuya thought of is the worst thing that has ever happened to me.

Ai Tetsuya was actually one of my seniors back from High School. She had been the vice-principal here when I wanted a job. It was easy enough to get a job through her though I really didn't need it at that time as the headmistress from that period was more than impressed at my record from University.

Sometimes, I have this bad feeling that maybe… just maybe… Tetsuya-chan has some devilish plan stored for me. This is because I always catch her looking at me in this ghastly manner during these early morning meetings and also she always ends up in the corridor right after I'm finished with my class.

When I had pointed this out to Nozomu once the blond had gleefully said that she has a crush on me. Man… what all I had to do to stop myself from throwing up at the sound of that!

It was almost another half hour before Tetsuya finally finished her monologue and left the room, an air of self-satisfaction present around her.

"Wow…" I vaguely heard the blonde sitting next to me give a sigh of relief, "I thought she would never stop…"

I glanced at her, my eyes slightly droopy. Noticing that I was giving her my attention, she smiled at me. At the sight of her smile, I had a feeling deep within my guts… a feeling of guilt… as though I did something wrong to her…

"How come you're _this_ tired…?" she wondered out loud, her cheerfully aura still present all around her, almost brightening her.

I choked on my own saliva as I tried to answer that without embarrassing myself as events of last night with Akira flashed through my head.

She raised her eyebrows in amusement as she stared at me.

"Understood," she said smiling as she got to her feet, papers held in her hand.

"Whoa!" I said, getting to my feet as well, my amber eyes producing a glare along the way, "What do you mean 'understood'…?"

She giggled.

I tried very hard not to think over how musical her laughter sounded. I felt my blood rise again but this time only by staring at her chuckle.

I turned away from her, inwardly cursing myself and also wondering what was happening.

"Do you wanna catch breakfast together?" she asked, lightly shifting the subject which was perfectly fine by me.

Despite what I assumed Akira didn't want me to do, I couldn't say no to her…

…Especially to her smile.

"Sure…" I said in a choked voice.

**—Head Over Heels—**

"You don't have to drop me every day, you know…" she said but nonetheless got into the front seat of my car, still smiling.

"You can pay if you want," I said smirking as I drove out of the school parking lot.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Say 100 yen per day?" I asked, looking at her as I passed the school gates with many of the students waving at us as we passed.

She gasped, amused.

"Really…?" she asked, "I'm _sure_ riding with you isn't worth that much…"

"Joke huh…?"

"Nope!" she said cheerfully.

I gave her the best glare I could muster but before I could even intensify it, she suddenly clapped her hands together and her eyes lightened up.

"I know!"

"Know what…?" I asked and before I could stop myself added, "That you forgot your brain back in California…?"

"Ha ha," she said sarcastically, "I know how to pay you back…"

"Really…?" I asked, a smirk threatening to break along my lips.

"Yup," she said and added with an afterthought, "by the way, it's Chicago…"

"Everything sounds the same," I muttered under my breath.

"_**So**_not…!"

**—Head Over Heels—**

"I'm _**not **_letting you cut my hair!" I exclaimed as the blonde standing before me held a scissor in one hand and a table cloth in the other.

"I worked part-time under a hair-stylist back in Chicago…" she said smiling and placed her hands on my shoulder, still holding her equipments and forced me to sit on the chair before her dressing table.

"That doesn't qualify you to touch my hair!" I said.

If there's anything that I hate, it's going to the salon for a hair-cut. I hate seeing my hair falling down. I absolutely hate it!

"I'm only going to trim it, Kanata…" she said soothingly.

I did not find it weird one bit that she used my first name (without any horrific) to address me. I find it weirder that letting her cut my hair seemed more appealing with every passing minute.

"No, Miyu…" I said instinctively, without even the slightest realization that I was using her name.

She flashed me another one of her smiles as she wrapped the table cloth safely over my front. My heart began to steadily race as I saw in the dressing table mirror of her tying her hair back in a pony-tail only for loose strands to poke out at odd places.

I closed my eyes lightly as she picked up a comb in her other free hand.

It was when she slowly touched my hair with the comb and the scissors that my heart began to pound pretty hard against my chest.

With my eyes still closed tight, I took a deep breath and breathed out, trying to calm myself down.

"Calm down Kanata…" she whispered in my ears, chuckling.

And at that very second I knew that I was starting to get attracted to her…

I was getting attracted to a woman who was already married…

…married to my fiancé's ex-boyfriend…!

**—Head Over Heels—**

**_End Chapter 05_**

**_A/N: _**_Hopefully this chapter was way better than the one from Destiny... :( I had no idea that you guys can get so angry at that... I mean, he messed up one word... it's **that** Kanata you should me mad at, not me... ;) _

_Do review... :)_

_**"Maybe love is like luck. You have to go all the way to find it." **_

_**- Robert Mitchum**_


	6. The Question

"_Life is simple, it's just not easy"_

—**Head Over Heels—**

Even though it was only a minor trimming that she did, I couldn't help but feel that something was completely off balance with my hair. Not that it was wrong… it was just not the same…

It happened nearly twenty four hours ago but I still could not shake off the feeling that she managed to give me just by touching my hair. I never remembered the last time that Akira had made me feel like that.

'_Damn it!' _I cursed in my mind as I walked away from the dining table, '_Why the __**hell**__ am I attracted to __**her?"**_

I stood still for a second as I noticed my face in the mirror that was hanging in by the couch. I neared it and stared. I pushed my hand into my hair slowly.

'_Where was this tingling feeling coming from?'_

I couldn't help but wonder what she could've possibly done to me for me to feel all sorts of new emotions that I was neither used to nor happy about.

I dropped on the couch, sighing.

I didn't understand at all…

Why _her…?_

Why do I have to be attracted to the one woman towards whom I should_ never_ have feelings towards…?

**Chapter 06**

When I left my apartment in the morning, I knew something was wrong. It had been bugging me a lot that before Akira left for work some time ago, she gave me a good-bye kiss that seemed a little more… what shall we say… _passionate_ than usual…

I have this horrible feeling in my stomach that maybe… just _maybe_ she knows.

I shook my head as I headed inside the staff room, trying to clear away my thoughts of both the women who seem to be haunting me for some time now.

"Good Morning Kanata!"

I didn't have to see her warm eccentric emerald eyes or her long flowing blonde hair which for some reason she had pulled up into an even more adorable bun with strands peeking out everywhere or her most famous and heart wrenching smile to know that it was her…

I could tell it is her without all these…

How…?

"Kanata…!"

That's how…

"Y-yea…?" I asked, breaking away from my fleeting lapse into space.

"You should greet back…" she said lightly shaking her head disapprovingly.

"Morning…" I started and then in response for the look she gave me added, "…_Mi-Miyu…"_

She beamed and left, brushing against my shoulder.

I sighed as I sat down at my cubicle.

My class starts in two minutes and I knew for a fact that I was going to be late. But I need some time to think. I lay back on my chair, my eyes closed trying to rid off all my thoughts concerning a particular blonde.

"Did you hear that..?"

I frowned.

If there was anything I despised about having to work with women, it was this…

_Gossip…_

I got up to leave when I heard what they were talking about.

"They are already in **first name **basis…"

I froze.

"She's already _married _isn't she..?"

"Yea…"

I left the staff room, my mind blank and possibly my eyes too.

"I hear that they are even leaving tog—"

—**Head Over Heels—**

I took in a deep breath as I stood in that empty staff room, ready to leave. The sun was almost setting and the last students were starting to leave the school grounds. I looked about the room despite knowing it was lifeless except for me.

I took the test papers I should be grading, from my desk and proceeded towards the door to leave.

I was right at the door when _she _came.

"Leaving…?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

Her eyes landed on the set of papers in my hand.

"I thought you don't like taking them to your apartment…"

I didn't think she'd remember that.

"Well…" I started not really knowing how to continue.

She looked at me almost expectantly.

I knew that my lips were parted.

I knew that I should be saying something.

At the very least, a decent lie…

A lie that she wouldn't be able to figure out at all…

"Akira and I are going out actually…"

"Oh," she said.

For some reason, that smile of hers was missing.

"Have a great time then," she said.

And then it was back…

"Yea…" I tried to smile back but it was probably in vain.

With that I brushed past her, leaving without another word. It was _physically _painful for me to leave her like that. My heart did some weird clenches that I haven't felt since a long time ago. I cursed under my breath as I wondered why I was so attached to her in spite of having known her for only about a month.

It was when I got into my car that my phone ringed. I pulled it out of my pocket and realized that it was Akira. I didn't know why but I sighed before answering.

"Hey…"

"_Where are you?"_

"Leaving school now," I said frowning lightly; she never usually asks me this, "why…?"

"_Did you forget already?" _cried Akira from the other side, her voice sounded a little irritated_, "today's the party… did you pick up my dress from Hiragiizawa yet…?"_

"Shit," I muttered under my breath and then said with my hand massaging my temple and in the process shuffling my already a little unkempt hair, "I'll pick it up on my way home…"

"'_Kay…"_ said Akira almost uncertainly, _"see you then…"_

"Yeah…" I said mechanically before I heard her hang up.

After I slipped my mobile back into my front pockets, I placed my hands lightly on the steering wheel, a blank look in my face.

—**Head Over Heels—**

"It'll take only a few more minutes Kanata," said the azure-eyed blond as he stood before a thin, pale brunette, the tips of his fingers trailing along the measure tip that was around his neck, "Chris is wrapping it up right now…"

I sighed as I sat down at an overly cushioned couch, trying to stay calm. As I looked around the area to kill some time, I realized that Nozomu seriously has some weird tastes when it comes to decorating his dress shop.

Naturally, the first time I met the guy in junior High I thought he was some kind of playboy, picking up almost every girl in school and having flirting as an obvious hobby. When we graduated and he said that he was going to take up a Fashion Major, everybody was so sure that it was because of all the time he had spent with the ladies.

But it was when he got married to Christine Hanakomachi that everybody groaned. Not only was Hanakomachi the most beautiful girl from our High School, she also had a thing for me. So, everybody went on and on about how it would be difficult for him to beat me.

Naturally I was the happiest when the two got married.

But not so much when that idiotic blond rubs it in my face every time.

"It's done," came Christine from the other room, laden with a nicely wrapped package which contained Akira's dress in her arms and a big smile on her face.

I got to my feet at once and breathing a sigh of relief took it from her.

"Thanks," I muttered.

"You _are _going to let us make Akira's wedding dress, right…?" asked Nozomu, heading towards the two of us.

I flinched at the sound of the "w" word and then shrugging, said, "It's up to her man…"

Nozomu sighed dramatically and then said with a wave of his arm, "I'm not making you a dress free of cost next time dude!"

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Like that's goanna happen!"

"Oh ya…," said Nozomu turning to face me now with an annoying smirk decorating his face, "I want to see her…"

I looked at him, perplexed.

"Akira…?"

Nozomu chuckled and then getting closer to me said with his head tilted sideways, "not her, idiot…"

I stared back blankly and was sure Christine did the same.

The blond gave me a devilish grin before saying, "the one who you can't seem to stop thinking about…"

"Mi-Miyu…?"

I felt my eyes widen.

Why did her name escape my lips…?

I heard a soft gasp from the female Hiragiizawa beside me.

Nozomu Hiragiizawa broke down chuckling as his face started to flush with the excitement of having finally made me blush and stutter… for having finally made me nervous…

"Who's Miyu…?" asked Christine in a timid voice.

—**Head Over Heels—**

_'Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile. '_


	7. The Ring

**Head Over Heels**

I was more than just surprised when I saw her standing by the bus, ushering the kids in, looking both stern and beautiful at the same time. I stood frozen at my step, my travel-bag weighing down on my shoulder, my amber eyes failing to break away their gaze from staring at her.

Finally, she turned and noticed my presence.

"Hey…" she greeted almost half-heartedly.

I gave her a weak smile.

"I thought it was Shinobu-san who would be chaperoning with me," I said, trying to start a conversation without embarrassing myself.

She shrugged and said, "She has the flu… she didn't want the kids to catch it…"

Ah…

The flu…

I wonder how many teachers are going to use that excuse to skip having to go on these dangerous field trips with the kids. I actually ended up having to chaperone only because Shinohara can't make it because his wife was due in a week.

But for the first time, I didn't really mind that I was getting stuck with chaperoning these weird monsters.

Was it because she was here…?

"Are you getting on Saionji-sensei?"

**Chapter 7**

**The Ring**

The gentle brush of the waves against my cold feet felt soothing and relaxing as though with one small swipe it took away all the worries and problems that had been weighing down on my shoulders for a while.

Taking a deep breath, I noticed that the sun was slowly beginning to set, casting a beautiful and elegant image along the edges of the waters. Orange and red was splashed along the sky and its reflection blurred and even more beautiful in the sea water, making that moment something to crave for all eternity.

I turned to my side and saw that the kids were still full of energy like the very instant they had stepped on the beach, as though nothing could slow them down. I couldn't help but wonder what I had been doing when I was a teenager, while I was in High School.

But I was interrupted in my thoughts when I heard a shriek and all the girls huddled up together at the spot where I last noticed the blonde standing and playing with a few of the girls.

I hurried over at once.

"What happened?" I asked.

It was her tear-stricken eyes that caught me off-guard. She was on all fours in the waters, dragging her arms along with every moment, her eyes squinting and tears adding along with the already salty sea water.

"Sensei lost her ring," said one of the girls who were trying to calm down the blonde.

"What?"

"My wedding ring!" the blonde sobbed, frantically searching for a silver band in the ever moving sea water, "I lost my wedding ring!"

I stood there, my pants getting wet with every second I spent in the chilly water, wondering why on earth _I_ wasfeeling guilty for her losing her wedding ring.

As she continued to roam about the water, her face panic-stricken with almost all the kids trying to help her out, I saw the sun slowly vanishing down behind the never-ending ocean, a view that most missed because of all that panic.

I checked my watch and noted that it was almost seven.

It was starting to seriously darken and clearing my throat called out, "guys that's it… get back to the hotel… it's getting dark".

A few protested but after some stern looks from me, I had them all heading toward our hotel which was situated about half-a-mile from where we stood, overlooking the sea and perched atop a rock.

As all the students started to leave one by one, only she remained at the sea. Almost every part of her body was wet with sea water. Her blonde hair was sticking to her face and neck making it even more uncomfortable for her to go about her tedious and almost impossible task.

I slowly made my way toward her as the last of the girls left, their tired faces showing signs of pity that they were feeling toward their English teacher.

I could hear her tired sobs as she splashed through the salt waters, trying to find a silver band in a vast ocean. I wondered when she would eventually give up and leave.

It didn't look as though she would be doing it any time soon.

"Hey," I called out to her.

I shivered lightly as I walked into the ice cold water.

She didn't turn but continued with her search.

"Miyu," I called a little more firmly.

I saw her stiffen for a second but that didn't last long as she continued with her task again. This was irritating me to infinite means and I didn't know why.

"You have to stop," I told her as I managed to grab her arms and make her come to a standing position.

"No," her whisper was audible enough for me to realize how tired she was, "I _have _to find the ring".

With that she tried to break away from me and to resume her search but both of us knew that I was way too strong for her. I tightened my grip over her arms and with growing irritation pulled her away from the cold water.

"Let go of me!" she protested but I didn't listen as I pulled her out.

As our feet touched the dry sands, she broke free of my hold and shouted, "It's my wedding ring! I have to find it!"

"Are you **nuts?**" I found myself shouting back at her, my anger mounting, "What are you trying to do? Find it or kill yourself trying?"

She turned away from me and it didn't require a genius to figure out that she was crying. But her tears were not going to calm down my anger which was mounting with every passing second.

"I have to find it," she almost chanted under her breath.

"**It's just a stupid damn ring**!" I practically yelled, my anger finally breaking the roof.

What happened next happened so fast that it took me an entire minute to figure out what exactly occurred. But the searing pain in my cheek was proof enough of what had happened.

I touched my red cheek and looked at the blonde, a look of pure surprise in my auburn eyes.

"Mind your own business," she said but instead of going to the sea water again in search of her "must find" wedding ring, she ran towards the hotel, teary-eyed.

I stood there, my heart beating fast against my chest.

Did she just slap me…?

**Head Over Heels**

Miyu slipped out of the bathroom, wearing a knee-length bathrobe and brandishing a towel to her wet blonde hair vigorously. Her eyes were red and her cheeks looked a little puffed. It was obvious from the look of her face that she had been crying.

She sat down on the small couch at one corner of that hotel room when she heard a soft knock on the door. Irritated that someone was knocking on her door at nearly midnight, she got to her feet and dropping the towel on the couch, walked to the door and opened it.

Her eyes widened at the sight of her visitor.

"Why are you wet?" she asked, bewildered as the brunet walked into the room, breathing heavily and salt water dripping from him and to the floor.

He turned to face her and smirked.

She looked at him, a little bit confused.

"Found it," he breathed as he produced before her the very wedding band that Mizuki had slipped through her finger just a few months ago.

Her heart soared as she saw the silver ring but her face reflected pure surprise.

"You can smile, you know," Kanata said lightly, cocking his head sideways.

Miyu stood there, a smile finally making its debut along her lips, making her a sight to sore eyes.

At the sight of her smile, the brunet smiled as well and grabbing her left hand in his, slipped the ring through her finger and said, "Happy…?"

Her smile widened as she eyed her left hand which was now adorning the slightly wet silver ring. She looked at the smiling brunet, a tear rolling down her cheek.

**Head Over Heels**

My heart almost stopped when she hugged me. At that second I felt as though that entire four hours of searching in that sea water was worth it. I felt every searing pain in my body was pacified by her one hug.

Her cheek brushed against mine as she hugged me even tighter, going, "thank you… thank you so much…"

I wished that she wouldn't feel the rapid speed with which my heart was beating right now. The smell of her shampoo was too overwhelming since she had just gotten out of the bath. Something moved inside me when she continued to hug me.

I lifted my arms, to hug her back but she broke away before the idea even took a concrete shape in my mind.

She looked a little embarrassed at her sudden action but smiled with a red face, going, "thanks Kanata…"

I scratched the back of my wet head and shrugged.

We stood there in silence for an entire minute before I realized that she was in her bathrobe and it would be advisable for me to leave at once.

"Good night," I said awkwardly and she nodded.

It was when I collapsed on my bed did I realize one thing.

"Oh shit!" I cursed as I got to a sitting position swiftly.

The scene in her room ran through my head again as I realized something that I should not have done.

"Did I just put that ring in her finger?"

**End Chapter 7**


	8. The Dress

**Head Over Heels**

Miyu Yamamura sat down at the living room couch and eyed her bustling husband. He kept moving to and fro, getting ready for some urgent meeting forgetting entirely about promising to take her out shopping to get a dress for the upcoming Homecoming Dance at the School.

"Did you see my black socks?" he asked holding his neatly polished shoes in one hand and his wallet in another.

Miyu gave a nod and said, "It's in the drawer by the bed".

He nodded and rushed back into the bedroom, muttering something under his breath. Miyu stared back at him, her eyes blank.

She got to her feet when Mizuki exited their bedroom, fully dressed and slipping on his jacket. She smiled at how handsome her husband looked when he was all dressed up like that.

"You look good," she said, her smile still in place.

"Th-thanks," he said, his face clearly showing how unexpected her comment was. He walked up to her and hesitating at first, gave a small peck on her cheek before leaving with a hurried, "Bye…"

She stood there, staring at him leave, closing the door behind him. She wondered how long her life would be going like this. She wondered when he would finally like her. She wondered when their married life is going to have some life in it.

She sighed exactly when the phone rang.

"Hello," she said and her face broke into a visibly bright smile at the sound of the voice on the other side.

**Chapter 8**

**The Dress**

I couldn't remember why I really called her. Maybe it's got something to do with work. Maybe it was something about a class tomorrow. Maybe I wanted to ask if she didn't get sick after that incident at the beach two nights back.

Screw it…

I just wanted to hear her voice.

I know for a fact that romance or passion isn't a crime.

Yea… I checked!

But I gotta admit that falling for her sure feels like it.

I can't kiss Akira like before.

I haven't slept with her either.

We haven't even spoken properly for the past few weeks. I have got this wild speculation that maybe just maybe she can sense that I am not attracted to her anymore. Sure, she's beautiful, fun, witty and _god_ she's hot… but…

Damn it…

I'm in love with **her!**

Why…

Holy freaking God!

Why do I have to fall in love with her?

Why the hell do I even term it as "love"?

Every time I see her smile, I want to freeze time forever. Just hearing her call my name makes my day. I hate it that I love her this much. I hate it more that I could never have her.

Why you ask…?

"Kanata, do you think Mizuki will ever fall in love with me?"

That's why…

She's smitten by that jerk of a guy who doesn't even appreciate her.

I hate that moron!

"Yea…" I replied, turning to face the blonde who was walking by my side her eyes boring into the stones of the sidewalk that we were walking on.

"You really think so…?"

I sighed.

Can't she tell that I'm hopelessly in love with her?

Am I that unreadable?

But didn't she once tell me that I was easy for her to read?

Why…?

UGH!

"I don't know," I replied, massaging my temples with my hand.

"I just can't understand, you know," she was saying, "He doesn't care at all…"

"We're here," I announced loudly as we stopped before the beautiful and elegant looking boutique situated right in the busiest market area in town. The shop was practically packed as the new winter selection designs were out. After all, the Hikarigaoka couple is known for their awesome designs yet comfortable clothing.

"Is this the place?" asked Miyu nervously, "it looks a bit expensive…"

I opened the glass doors and reassured her, "don't worry… I know the owners…"

"But that doesn't mean they'll give you the clothes for free…"

I could tell that Miyu flinched lightly in surprise but Nozomu's frequent sudden appearances were something I got used to since High School. So, I said coolly, "Yea yea whatever… where's Christine…?"

"She's at the counter… Business is seriously booming… Who would've thought that faux sweaters were this popular…?" said Nozomu cheerfully and then smiling widely at the blonde beside me said, "You must be Miyu… I'm Nozomu… Hikarigaoka, Nozomu… Co-owner and Designer at C&N Fashions…"

"Forgive my friend for his idiocy," I said glaring at the blond, "you can't blame him… he's born with it".

"And you earned it my friend," Nozomu retorted, holding his smile in place.

Miyu giggled.

"Are you guys always like this?" she asked, chuckling.

"Only when they are in a good mood," replied Christine as she walked over to us, her face glowing as she smiled at the three of us, though she did throw a disapproving look at the feud that her husband and I were having, "I'm Christine Hikarigaoka… Pleased to meet you…"

"The pleasure's mine," said Miyu as she shook hands with Chris.

"So, what do you want lover-boy?" asked Nozomu playfully.

I threw him a dirty look but didn't comment. Instead I turned to Chris and said, "Miyu needs a dress for the Homecoming at School… We are one of the chaperones and she doesn't have a formal dress to go…"

Christine looked thoughtful for a moment and then exclaimed, "Oh I've got just the thing! Come with me…"

She pulled both Miyu and I through a door and into the back section of the shop all the while yelling to her husband, "See to the counter darling!"

Nozomu sighed as the sight of the long queue that was piling up at the counter and sighed before starting toward it.

**Head Over Heels**

"You wait here while she changes," Christine pushed me onto a cushioned chair and strode out of what seemed to be a secluded trail-room right at the back of the shop.

I eyed the place and came to the conclusion that this was where the duo came up with new designs. The place was a total mess with lines and lines of different colored cloth, laces and much other clothing related stuff whose name I never even want to know were strewn across the room.

There were also canvases and torn up pages which had probably held initial stages of their designs in one corner of the room. I sighed as I stared at the maroon shaded curtains behind which stood Miyu trying on the dress that Christine picked out for her.

I could see her shadow moving behind the curtain and at once I closed my eyes and leaned back on the chair, trying to block out the pounding of my heart.

"You still there, Kanata…?" I heard her call out almost nervously.

"Yep," I replied through gritted teeth.

"Good".

I sighed.

"You know," she suddenly piped from behind the curtains, "I think Mizuki might be trying to make this work…"

I blinked.

WHAT?

"Oh," I said, "what makes you say that?"

The reply came out later than usual.

"He kissed me".

I bet she blushed.

"Oh…" was my reply again but inside my head, I felt like being dropped down a bottomless pit. That was how I felt when the image of that jerk kissing her kept popping in my head.

I got to my feet and had half-a-mind to leave. I didn't think I was this much of an idiot. Why should this affect me this much? They are a married couple for god sake! Why am I jealous over her husband?

Damn it!

I turned and took a step to leave when I heard her coming out of the trial room.

"But it was just on the cheek," her sad voice made my heart almost stop.

I turned and I knew for certain that my eyes were wide, trying to absorb everything about her that second. At that second I knew that I was laying eyes on the most beautiful woman ever. But deep within I knew that the dress has got nothing to do with why I see her as beautiful. I bet she'd look gorgeous even in a torn up dress.

That was when I recognized that that was the dress that I selected for Akira for that Office Party but later she changed the dress because she thought I always selected the same kind of clothes for her.

She didn't ask anything about the dress so kept quiet. But honestly even if did ask, I would have nothing to tell her that would not embarrass me.

"On the cheek…?" I asked.

She walked over to the mirror and adjusted her hair and stepped back to see how she looked.

"Yea," she replied, turning to me.

I tried to give a smile but I think even my brain didn't want to process the function so, I stood there stony-faced.

"What do you think?" she asked.

I blinked.

Okay… that was a tricky question.

I'm thinking a lot of things and mostly everything I'm thinking revolves around you.

"About what…?" I asked, taking a step forward.

I was surprised that my voice was steady.

"You know… about why he kissed me…" she turned away, her face almost as crimson as her dress.

I chose to shrug my shoulders and not tell her exactly what I was thinking which might make her furious.

"Maybe he thinks that I'm not a good kisser…" she suddenly said.

"No way…"

Oh shit!

Why did I just say that out loud?

She turned to face me, a questioning look in her face.

"How would you know?" she asked, and I was thankful that she was smirking.

"I just know," I said, smiling.

She came closer to me and asked with a smile, "Really…?"

Maybe it was the lack of space between the two of us but I lost all of my self-control and I felt my hand move of their own accord and touch her cheek. Her surprise was evident in her eyes.

"Really…" I assured her as I leaned toward her slightly parted lips that were practically calling out to all my desires which I never knew even existed.

My eyelids felt too heavy to be left open. It was when I started to close them when I felt her touch the hand which was still to her cheek. But I didn't feel her pull my hand away or feel her pull away from me either.

She just stood there, completely defenseless.

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

When I could practically catch the smell of her lip-gloss, which was strawberry by the way, when I heard Christine bustling into the room, ruining everything!

"I found the matching earrings—oh! I'll come back later…"

"Wait…!"

I felt her pull away from me in a swift motion and when I opened my eyes an entire minute later, truly irritated, both the girls were gone and had left me in that room alone.

Frustrated, I kicked a waste paper which was lying innocently on the floor and walked over to the chair and clutched my face with both my hands, wishing time to go back, wishing I had never given way to what I wanted to do, wishing I had never fell for her, wishing I had not been engaged to Akira, wishing that she wasn't married to Mizuki, wishing that I had never met her.

**Head Over Heels**

I walked out of the room, nearly twenty minutes later and found the three at the cash counter as the last of the customers left the store. I pushed away the image of her at that proximity to me and walked toward them, taking a deep breath and hoping that my best friend would not catch the obvious embarrassment that was lurking inside of me.

As I neared I caught their conversation.

"…rubbish… it's on the house…" Nozomu was saying, smiling at her.

"But this looks expensive," she said nervously, "I cannot take it for free…"

"Yes you can," insisted Christine, "Besides… this belongs to Kanata…"

I froze and asked, "W-what?"

"You wear dresses?" asked Miyu, a smirk creeping to her lips.

"Very funny," I said coldly and turning to the female Hikarigaoka asked, "What do you mean?"

Christine shrugged and said, "I think that came out all wrong… this was the dress you originally wanted us to make for Akira, remember…?"

I frowned, thinking.

"Oh yea…" I muttered under my breath and said with a shrug, "well, she didn't even know that it was made…"

Nozomu shook his head solemnly as he said, "She never did like our designs…"

I wondered why he had to look that dejected cause of that. Oh yea, Nozomu had this excessive compulsive disorder that nobody should _not _like him. I sighed wondering what I should say to lift him from going into depression.

"But I love them," came her soothing voice, "and from the looks of it, so does many other people…"

Christine smiled as she placed her hand on Nozomu's shoulder and said, "She's right honey…"

"So, I take it that you're saying that Akira's tasteless?" Nozomu smirked at Miyu.

The emerald eyed blonde became nervous in a matter of seconds. I saw her giving me tensed glances before saying, "I never said that… I meant that people's tastes differ…"

I didn't know why but a smile crept to my lips.

"I don't know about her tastes in dresses," Nozomu smiled, "but Akira sure does have great tastes in guys…"

"You think so?" asked Miyu, playfully.

"Yea… first Mizuki and now Kanata…" Nozomu said, smirking at me.

"Dude, please do act like a guy for once…" I advised and then with an after-thought, asked, "How do you know the guy anyway?"

"His sister is a regular customer," Christine provided, "she brings him in to try on various clothes for modeling in her books…"

"She's a shoujo author," Nozomu said lightly.

"Oh," I replied.

It was then that I realized that she had been quiet all this while. But before I could so much as turn to her, I felt her grab my sleeve.

I turned to her just in time to hear her shaking query, "Mi-Mizuki a-and Akira were to-together?"

**End Chapter 8**

_**A/N: **__So, Miyu finds out about Mizuki's ex-flame Akira, who just so happens to be the fiancé of the guy who is head over heels in love with her. What will happen? Will Miyu confront her husband and demand an explanation as to why he didn't tell her earlier…? Or will she keep quiet and smile like always…?_

_Find out in the next chapter to __**Head Over Heels…**_

_**"Sometimes you have to let your head overrule your heart."**_


	9. Her Story and Their Twist

**Head Over Heels**

The usually attractive emerald-orbed blonde looked beyond her years as she sat there at the kitchen counter, holding a hot cup of coffee in one hand whilst her other hand was busy twirling a strand of her hair, her eyes blank and her face free from any kind of expression.

Placing the coffee mug on the counter, she traced its smooth edges, a thousand thoughts rushing through her mind as she remembered every sentence that Kanata had uttered about her husband's ex-flame.

"_I just heard that they had been dating since high school…"_

At that moment, her husband entered the kitchen with pillow hair and his PJs a little askew. She stared at him long and hard as he yawned a "good morning" to her.

As he sat beside her, a mug of coffee in one hand and the morning newspaper in the other, Miyu couldn't help herself but ask, "Why didn't you tell me…?"

Mizuki blinked before asking, "Tell you what?"

Miyu took a profound breath as she remembered Kanata's silent and circuitous warning, _"I'm not sure whether I should've even told this…"_

Miyu breathed out.

Mizuki raised an eyebrow.

"That you're in love with Akira".

Mizuki's eyes widened.

**Chapter 09**

**Her Story and Their Twist**

I could tell that she was feeling down and I was most certain about the reason for the same. But I wasn't so certain about how I should approach her about it. True, both of us are kinda in the same boat having to be in a relationship with past lovers but I'm definitely in a better place seeing as I'm not married, **yet.**

I waited until the two of us were safely in my car before I had the nerve to ask her, "I'm guessing it didn't go well with Mizuki?"

After an entire minute of silence, she turned to me with that dazzling smile of hers and said, "on the contrary, it went really well…"

I tried to concentrate on driving while inwardly wanting to kick myself for hoping a little bit that it should not have gone well.

"He admitted that he **was **in love with her…"

So, now we are talking about my fiancé…

Hm...

I wonder whether I could ever fall in love with Akira at all…

"And he said that even though the feelings he had for her may not have entirely gone, he'll try to work things between us…" she was saying while I was only half-listening but nodded my head nonetheless.

And we continued with our silence, each in our own world. I glanced at her sideways wishing that I could hear what she was thinking right now.

"Kanata…" her sudden words startled me.

"Yea…?" I responded, turning my head back to facing the road ahead.

She took another ten seconds before blurting out her question, "What did you feel when you knew that those two had been together?"

Now, **that **I have to think about…

What did I feel…?

Besides, how did it happen anyway..?

Oh ya…

"_How do you know Yamamura from?" _

_She looked a little surprised at my question but didn't answer._

"_You don't have to answer," I said in a small voice though I really wanted her to._

_I really wanted to know who this guy is… especially to her…_

_She looked at me and then bit her lower lip, as though debating whether to tell me or not and by the looks of it, she would obviously choose the latter._

"_Mizuki-kun is…" she started._

_I gave her a steely glance, my face betraying none of my actual emotions and fears._

_She breathed out and said, "My ex-boyfriend…"_

I sighed before answering to her question, "I was irritated…"

I could feel her steady gaze as it bore into my skin, my entire body warming up. I could feel that she wanted me to continue.

"I didn't want her to tell me," I said in barely more than a whisper, "But I wanted to know nonetheless… does that make any sense?"

"Yes it does," she said, and I was pretty sure she was smiling.

_And does it make any sense at all that I am falling for her… even deeper?_

_Wish I could hear her say "Yes it does" with a smile for that._

I sighed.

"Anything the matter?" she asked, her misty voice, travelling through my ears like some sort of beautiful song that makes your heart beat with such an intensity that it brings a smile to your face.

"Nothing," I replied with a short smile, wondering when and how I would be able to make this feeling go away… or whether I really wanted it to go away at all?

A few minutes later, I stopped the car in front of their home and she got down.

"See you tomorrow afternoon?" she asked smiling.

"I'll pick you up?" I asked, trying to be casual.

She hesitated for a moment during which I automatically crossed my fingers over the steering wheel.

"Sure," she smiled and I bet so did I.

"'Kay…" I said, "See ya…"

**Head Over Heels**

Akira already left for the night and would be returning only tomorrow morning for having to attend some sorta fashion show in Oklahoma with her boss. She had been all gussied up wearing that olive green dress she had last got from Nozomu's place, her hair practically glistening, her lips the tender shade of ripe strawberries, her eyes sparkling with life—a total hottie I admit…

But…

"Sorry to keep you waiting…"

She opened the door and slid into the front, an apologetic smile along those alluring cherry lips of hers, her perfume almost overwhelming every part of my body (wait… not just "almost") and the way she looked in that red dress…

Well, part of me wanted to tear it…

But hey, I'm supposed to be her "go to" guy…

…and not the guy who went to her!

I had to employ a lot of self restrain from just looking over to her side for I know for sure I won't be able to control myself if I lay my eyes on her for more than a few minutes.

And after nearly fifteen breathtaking minutes, we reached the school. I asked her to go ahead while I parked the car. After she left, I had no idea how long I sat there, cursing my life.

Why was it that the one woman that I fell in love with could be the one I could not have?

Why?

Goddamn you god!

"Sensei…?"

I sighed.

Damn…

**Head Over Heels**

I pushed my hands into my pockets as another breeze swept past us, as we continued to stroll along the almost deserted streets in the town.

I wondered why she suggested that we take a walk. She had been all serious when she said, _"I have something to tell you… shall we take a walk…?"_

But that was back at the school, nearly twenty minutes ago. After that she hadn't spoken a word. I kept thinking as to what she wanted to say and whether it would be okay if I asked her myself as it seems like she might've changed her mind about saying anything.

I took a deep breath.

"Hey…" I said and stopped and so did she.

She looked at me with those bright eyes of hers that I totally forgot what I was about to say.

"Erm…"

She raised her eyebrows.

"Dinner…?" I managed, "I know this great place two blocks away…"

She smiled and I my heart raced.

Jesus Christ… why am I behaving like a high school kid?

"I'd probably finish my story by then I think…" she said.

"Story?" I asked, slightly intrigued, "what story…?"

She smiled at me and said, "My story…"

I stood there in silence as she continued to smile at me, a smile which I was never able to decipher… another breeze blew and she hugged herself for some warmth. Instinctively, I handed her my suit and though she protested at first, she accepted in the end.

I waited for her to start.

And she did…

"It was during a night like this that my parents decided to go for a play… we had moved there just a year ago and we were yet to actually make any real friends except Ruu who already had loads from his school… cause after all he **was **popular…"

She chuckled in the end.

"Ruu…?" I enquired.

"My little brother," she said with a faraway look in her eyes, "He would be seventeen now…"

She paused.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes tight, as though reliving a dreadful memory that was haunting her mind and soul.

"I couldn't go cause Danielle, my boss at the beauty salon, had an important appointment that she wanted me to take care of…" she said, her voice starting to crack.

And the entire story came crashing down on Kanata as she told him how the car that her parents and brother were in crashed into a truck which had come out of nowhere… how she had collapsed in the salon where she worked when she was given the news of the accident… how her boss had taken her to the hospital…

…how both her parents had died on the spot...!

…how she was forced into going to see her brother during his last few breaths…

…how he had smiled at her, the smile which she had started to use ever since…

"_Th-the play was-wasn't that good si-sis…"_

And his dying words…

"_It's go… good… that you didn't… see…see it…"_

I stiffened when she hugged me and started to cry.

After a few seconds, I began to slowly relax and I put my arms around her and pulled her closer.

"It's all going to be okay Miyu," I whispered into her ears.

We stood there, at the pavement and she was still crying into my torso. I nervously patted the back of her head, wondering how to calm her.

But one look across the street and I realized that nothing was **ever **going to be okay anymore.

Shocked and betrayed, I withdrew away from the weeping blonde and took a step back, all the while my eyes fixated at the Italian Restaurant across the street.

I could feel her looking at me surprised and little taken aback and I sensed that she caught the direction of my gaze and following it, I **knew **that her already teary eyes would widen ever so widely as she saw her husband and my fiancé at the restaurant, loving smiles directed at each other, their hands entwined.

"Damn…"

**End Chapter 9**

**A/N: **Hey guys! Am sorry for offering you guys so little and at very long intervals as well… but haven't got a choice for a few weeks… I deeply apologize…

And this time I can't lie and tell that I will update soon…

:-(

_**We will not succeed in your first love,**_

_**Because of lack of some qualities**_

_**But after achieving those qualities,**_

_**We will not fall in love once again…**_


	10. The Art of Cheating

Kanata sat down on our apartment's couch in his tracks, a bottle of beer in one hand and a remote control in the other as he randomly flicked to a channel. He took a sip and stared at the screen, hating that his still wet hair was beginning to weigh down heavier than he had originally intended.

"_W-wh-why …?"_

He closed his eyes as the TV continued to buzz in the background. He leaned back on the couch, too tired to even think.

The events of the evening were rushing through his head more as he tried ever so hard to shove them away. He didn't even want to imagine what **she **would be doing right now. He hated himself for being so self-centered that he had completely missed what was going on with his fiancée.

**Chapter 10**

**The Art of Cheating**

"Damn!" I cursed loudly as I hit that aged monkey bars in that deserted park a hard kick, earning only a sore pain in my feet.

I muttered another curse under my breath as the pain seared through my feet. I pushed both my hands into my hair, frustration overtaking my senses.

After another minute of cursing, as the image of Akira and Yamamura kept popping into my mind, I exhaled hard, trying to push it away. I stood still for an entire minute, trying to steady my thoughts.

When my thoughts were a little bit more organized, I turned and saw her sitting limply on one of the swings, a lost look in her eyes. Yes, initially she had broken down, crying her eyes out. But after I decided to drag ourselves away from the place, and into this empty park, we were in silence… thinking about our own separate lives.

I slowly walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. I didn't know what I could possibly tell her to make her feel better.

Well, heck I wanted someone to tell me that everything will be fine…

Shit…

Yep! That's what my life is like right at this moment… shit…

"W-wh-why …?"

Her voice brought me to my senses.

_At least you are not married… yet._

I hated it when that stupid and ignorant little voice spoke inside my head.

"Why did this happen?" her voice sounded so steady when compared to just seconds ago when she had difficulty saying one word.

"I," I whispered and with a pause finished, "don't know…"

She got her feet slowly.

I sighed as I looked at her depressed form.

How can I comfort her…?

Before I could even think about it again, she took a few steps towards me leaned on me, hers hands slowly grasping the front of my shirt.

True, I was shocked beyond belief. But as reflex, I found my arms wrapping around her tiny frame, pulling her closer, my lips touching her hair.

"Why did they cheat…?"

I didn't know an answer to that.

"I don't know," I said again.

She leaned in closer.

Her breathing began to finally steady down a bit. But I was sure as hell that mine was going a little bit unsteady.

Sure my fiancée is cheating on me…

I should be _devastated._

That I **am… **I am devastated. But that damn little voice in my head reminded me that I was sure as hell relieved that **she **was the one who tainted our relationship and not **me.**

"If they can…"

She withdrew a little and looked into my eyes, an odd look into those sparkling emerald eyes of hers. Instinctively, I took a step back, my arms drawing away from her.

"…I want to cheat too!"

I frowned.

"What?"

That was the last words that escaped my lips before her lips came tumbling onto mine.

_What the—?_

I could barely think as she leaned in further, her gloved hands grabbing my cheeks. I blinked, frozen to the ground, not having the slightest ounce of thought as to what to do next.

Here she was, the woman that I am head over heels in love with, kissing me.

And what the **hell **was I doing not kissing her back…?

Before my conscience kicked in, I found my arms slowly making their way towards her petite waist. But before I could kiss her back, she broke away from me and with those alluring emerald irises of hers, stared right into my amber orbs, looking as though she was searching for something in my eyes.

I blinked.

My lips were a little agape.

I breathed out and a delicate fog escaped my lips.

"I wanna cheat too…" she whispered against my lips, her cold breath falling on my lips but contrastingly warming me even more.

I closed my eyes and loosened my grasp on her.

I breathed out and could feel her eyes on me. I could feel the tension that was emitting out of her body as it synced with what my craving at that moment as well.

Before I could rationally assess the situation, I found myself grabbing her hand.

"Fine…" my cold voice sounded steadier than how I was feeling inside.

The cold night, the sting of betrayal and more importantly the sudden need that erupted inside my body for her all made me say the next words.

"My apartment's free tonight".

She looked at me, her face betraying nothing of what she was thinking.

"Let's go…" I whispered as I gently pulled her and started walking towards where I parked my car.

**Head Over Heels**

We walked along the corridor from the lift to my apartment that was situated in the fourth floor in that building. The steady sounds of our footsteps against the wooden floor was all that I could hear for I deliberately tried not to think… the more I think, the more would I think that this is a good idea.

I tried not to tighten my grip on her hand as I continued to drag her towards my apartment. She slowly followed, not muttering a single word.

The more steps I took, the more I began to think that the corridor seemed longer than usual.

Finally… finally, we arrived at my apartment door.

I stopped right in front of it and turned to look at her. Her face was kind of pale and her eyes were buried to the floor. I let go of her hand gently and eyed the front door to my neighbor's apartment.

Okay… I'm just being a little careful…

Takeru's wife from next door is more interested in what goes on in our apartment rather than with whom her husband spends his "over-time" with.

I took a deep breath and brought her into my apartment.

**Head Over Heels**

I breathed out as I poured the hot tea into two cups, acutely aware of her sitting on my sofa, her blonde eyes wary and still clutching onto that coat of mine which I had offered her earlier in the evening. As the steam rose from the hot tea, I knew that I was in a tight spot.

"_I wanna cheat too…"_

She wants to cheat… she wants to have an affair…

…with me!

What a compelling thought…

But darn!

I clutched the two cups of hot tea, gritting my teeth, infuriated that I have to act the gentleman here.

"Here," I gave her the cup and sat down beside her with my own cup in hand.

I was so angry at my own situation that I didn't mind one bit that the hot tea was burning a hole in my tongue. But she was just holding the hot tea with both her hands, with a distant look in her eyes.

I sighed as I placed my empty cup on the coffee-table and turned to face her.

Her face was pale and she looked so delicate like she could break down any minute.

"Miyu…" her name escaped my lips and she turned to face me slowly.

I sighed as I pulled the cup from her hands and placed her full glass beside my empty one on the table. She stared at the two cups for a long time before I called to her again.

She looked into my eyes and as I watched, color began to rise to her pale face.

"I haven't done it with him…" she said, her eyes now staring at the carpeted floor.

"Sorry?"

"I mean that…" she fidgeted nervously, "I am… well, I'm still a …"

"Virgin…?" I offered.

Her face reddened and she nodded, turning away from me.

I couldn't help but chuckle.

She was just too cute.

"Stop laughing…" she mumbled but my chuckled slowly turned into laughter as I saw her that face reddened with every second.

She stared at me, a fierce glow in her eyes as I realized that I was agitating her even more.

"Ok…" I said, finally my stoic face one, "what shall we do…?"

She blinked and then began to get nervous again.

"You know…"

I couldn't help but smile at her.

I gently grabbed both her cheeks and smiled at her.

"Tell you what," I said, my voice amazingly calm and my hands surprisingly steady even though she was so close that I could even smell her perfume, "why don't we hold this off until tomorrow?"

She raised her eyebrows, "tomorrow?"

"Yes," I said slowly, "give it time… I don't want you to regret anything…"

She gulped.

"And, think more clearly," I continued, "just because they are doing something that hurts us, doesn't mean we should lower ourselves to their standards…"

She stared into my face.

"And…" I breathed out, "I'd like to think of myself as a man with principles…"

Yep!

That's **totally **true!

I have certain principles and not even the most beautiful woman in this world can do anything to break those principles.

But—

As her lips grazed against mine for the second time that night, I knew that I cared a damn for those principles.

"Am sorry about everything," she said as she stood up from the couch, smiling down at me as I sat there, frozen, still not over the shock of her electrifying kiss.

"We will talk again tomorrow," she was about to open the front door when I finally regained my senses and dashed over to her.

She blinked at me in surprise.

"I changed my mind".

"Huh?"

"I wanna cheat too…"

Her laugh sounded like music to my ears.

"Am serious…"

Her smile was just too alluring for me to let it pass.

"Miyu…"

Shit… why did I sound so desperate…?

She made me freeze again as she gently pecked at a spot right next to my lips and spoke on my skin, "If **ever **I wanna have an affair, it would be with Kanata…"

With that she left me in that empty apartment.

**End Chapter 10**

**A/N: **_I know that was kinda a lame attempt… but still, the story gets better, I promise…_

"_When tears run dry it's a sign you're moving on"_


	11. The Private Place

**Head Over Heels**

Life had never been this difficult for the youngest male teacher at the prestigious Keiko-Tama Private School. Not only was his fiancée cheating on him, he was trying with all his might to not get his irrepressible feelings towards a particular blonde go overboard. However, he had been finding it even harder to achieve this feet ever since she kissed him (_twice!) _just a few days back.

Although it had been held no special meaning from her part since she had been still in shock that her husband, the man who had promised to be beside her till death, was found hand-in-hand with the brunet's fiancée.

Kanata sighed.

"Sensei…? Are you okay…?"

Kanata finally came to reality as he looked around his class, every one of his students giving him a worried look.

He sighed yet again and said dejectedly as he plopped on his seat looking completely exhausted, "why don't you guys just prepare for tomorrow's test?"

That was when everyone started groaning.

"We have a test tomorrow?"

"A TEST…?"

"Shit!" Kanata cursed under his breath and asked, "Didn't I tell you guys…?"

"NO!" everybody chorused.

Kanata stared from one face to another and then cocked his head sideways and said, "Well, think of it as a pop quiz… and I just slipped out that it's tomorrow…"

"Sensei!" they all groaned again.

"That's SO unfair…!"

"I know," Kanata sighed again as he leaned back on his chair, gazing outside the nearest window.

**Chapter 11**

**The Private Place**

Kanata pushed both his hands into his pant pockets as he walked out of the school. He knew that he had made the terrible mistake of leaving his car for service right when the winter winds began to blow.

"Didn't bring your car today?"

Kanata tried not to look at the one woman who was like his walking heater.

He muttered an almost inaudible "no" and stuffed his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to keep them warm.

"You should've worn gloves you know…" she said, now walking at the same pace as the brunet.

"Gotta buy some", he said in reply.

She hummed under her breath and then glancing at him again said warmly, "you should also get a scarf while you're at it…"

"Hn," he acknowledged her concern.

They hadn't taken another few steps when she suddenly stopped. Taken by surprise, Kanata stopped as well and finally turned to look at her.

"Are you mad at me?"

Now, that came as a true surprise.

"What…?" was all that escaped his lips.

She looked up at him, into his amber eyes. He couldn't hold the gaze for more than 2 seconds at the end of which he shifted his gaze.

"See!" she exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at him, "this is what I am talking about…"

Kanata sighed, having nothing better to do.

"Wanna go for a cup of coffee?"

**~Head Over Heels~**

As I sipped the hot cup of cappuccino at the Café Coffee which was a few blocks away from school, I couldn't help but stare at the blonde seated before me, holding an identical cup in her hands, a tentative smile on her face.

"So…" I started, grasping her attention, "why do you keep insisting that I'm mad at you…," and with an afterthought I added, "…which am not".

She averted her gaze from mine and stared at the table cloth.

I took the opportunity to look at her after all I've been _obviously _trying to avoid her for the past few days. She had let down her hair today which fell all over her, making me yearn to play with them. Her cheeks, which had a beautiful tinge of crimson was really inviting especially in this cold weather.

And her lips…!

I looked away.

Well, it would be safe for the both of us if I stopped staring at her. The events of that night were still etched to my mind, making me think of it even when am sleeping.

"_If __**ever **__I wanna have an affair, it would be with Kanata…"_

Despite myself, I smiled as I remembered that line.

But even now I didn't like the word that she used—affair.

"But you are mad at me, aren't you?"

I sighed.

There she goes again…

What the hell did I do to make her think that I was mad at her?

"What did I do to make you think that I'm mad at you?"

Wow… I actually spoke what I was thinking…

Well, not entirely anyway.

She mumbled something almost inaudible before sipping on her coffee.

"Eh?"

She took a deep breath and said clearly, "You aren't talking to me like before…"

"Before..?"

"Like how we were before that night…" she muttered under her breath, her face a beautiful shade of crimson hue right now.

I was too much caught up looking at her face to even get embarrassed at the mention of that night. But all of this had a depressive etch to it.

Here she was, the woman I was desperately in love with but all I could do is stare at her… stare at her, hopelessly…

The more I yearned for her, the more it seemed like I was doing a big mistake.

When she entered my life, life as I knew it, changed… but I'm still not sure whether it was for the better or for the worse.

I sipped on my hot cup of coffee, thinking of the best response I could give to her query.

"Well, this change was inevitable, wasn't it?"

She stared at me, "What do you mean…?"

"How do I say this…?" I muttered under my breath, still wondering and making sure that I don't look into her eyes.

"Is it because I kissed you?"

Ah… the kiss… Honestly, that was the most twisting moment in my life, surpassing even seeing my fiancée with another man.

Nope! I could never blame the kiss…

It was the best.

But if I tell her what I was thinking, it might just freak her out for sure. So I just stuck to a monotonous reply with no hidden meaning behind it.

"No…"

She looked at me questioningly.

I sighed.

"Can we go somewhere private…? I have some stuff to discuss with you…" she said timidly.

I thought for an entire minute and then having no other option, stood up, ready to take her to the one place I never dared to bring Akira.

"Where are we going?" asked the blonde as she walked beside me along a long road with a line of cherry-blossom trees on either side.

It brought back loads of memories as I silently continued to walk, wishing I didn't have to resort to coming here of all places to make up my mind. But I cannot lie to myself. This was the only place where I could be myself.

Reaching our destination, I stopped.

"The Saionji Temple?" she read the engravings on the stone which was erected beside a long line of stairs, leading up to what looked like a Buddhist Temple.

She looked at me quizzically.

"Are you somehow related?"

"Yep…" I replied, sighing, "This is my home…"

**End Chapter 11**


	12. The Bell Tower

**Head Over Heels**

**Chapter 12**

**The Bell Tower**

The Saionji temple had been my place of solace for as long as I remember. This is where I come when I feel down… when I'm happiest… when I'm weakest…

"Wow…" her mild voice was the only other sound in the entire place except for the occasional chirping of the birds and the wind.

"You own a temple!" she said, chuckling, "Really…?"

"Now you know why I'm a man of principles," I said with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

She smiled back and there was a twinkle in her eyes which I've never seen before. Unless I'm wrong, I feel like she really likes the place. But that thought brought back some unwanted memories…

"_So when are you taking me to see your parents…?"_

Everybody goes through that phase in their adult lives, right?

The "Meet the Parents" phase!

In my case, fortunately, Akira's parents are divorced and living in different parts of Japan—technically she hates seeing them too so never asked to go visit them together. However, inversely, my parents own the town's Buddha temple and are happily married for the past 30 years.

And I love them!

"Kanata, is that you?" the voice of the woman who is the reason I was and continue to be flocked by girls sounded behind us.

"Mom…" I smiled and she dropped her groceries to give me a tight hug.

"Baka Kanata!" she hit me gently as she pulled away from her hug, "It's been more than a month since you were last home…!"

I scratched my head lightly but before I could say anything she exclaimed, "And you must be Akira!" and gave the poor blonde beside me a hug too.

Right… I totally forgot about this.

She said "private" right?

God! Why did I bring her here?

"Um… I'm Miyu…" she said awkwardly.

My mum looked a little puzzled but nonetheless her enchanting smile returned as she said, "Come on in then… I'll fix up dinner!"

She picked up her groceries and went inside the wooden house beside the main Temple structure. The two of us continued to stand there. I caught glimpse of the blonde with a confused look on her face as she stared back at the stairs which would lead us back to the town.

I sighed.

I knew this would be a bad idea.

But…

"Miyu?" I called out to her tenderly, my voice betraying nothing of what I felt inside. I slithered my hand into hers and pulled her away from the stairs and towards the bell-tower.

A tingly feeling starting from my fingertips touching her warm and cushiony hands reached until my lips, warming up my face in the process. I tried to remember the last time I had brought a girl home but nothing came to mind… mostly because my thoughts were kinda focused on something (well… someone) else.

As we reached the top of the bell-tower, she gasped, "Wow…"

I smiled, but not really willing to let go of her hand.

I love this woman.

I love her.

I don't plan to deny it any more.

But…

I slowly let go of her hand.

"You were hospitalized at Matsuzawa in Tokyo…" I muttered, turning away from her, knowing for sure that she must be frozen by now, "and continue fortnightly therapy sessions there".

I leaned on the ancient bell, staring at her back, trying my hardest to figure out what must be going on inside her head.

"How do you know," came her steady whisper.

"Miyu…"

"You think am crazy too now, huh?" her voice finally cracked, "is that why you started acting distant with me?"

She started to shake a little.

Before I could even think what I was doing, I took one huge step in one swift motion and slipped me arms around her hips, hugging her from behind. Burying my face into her apple-scented blonde hair, I hugged her tight.

She froze for a minute before relaxing enough to gently touch my arms as she whispered, "I'm not crazy… not anymore…"

"I know," was all what I could offer.

**Head over Heels**

"You know, back when Kanata was at school," said the aged yet beautiful Hitomi Saionji as she handed Miyu a hot cup of green tea, "we used to have tons and tons of girls coming up the temple to visit the bell-tower".

Miyu smiled, a tinge of crimson decorating her otherwise pale cheeks.

"This is where you should ask why…" came the brunet's monotonous voice as he sat down beside the blonde, not even leaving an inch between the two which was not left unnoticed by either women.

"Wh-why?" asked the blonde, a small stutter in her voice as her face glowed more crimson.

Hitomi did not fail to notice neither the blonde's awkwardness nor her son's attitude towards this mystery blonde. But she knew better than to confront her son about this. There was something in his face… his voice… his eyes… something new… something warm.

"It's an old myth that got famous during that period…" said Hitomi with her trademark smile in place, "it is said that if you make a wish atop the tower and hit the bell three times, it'll come true within eighty-seven days… which happens to be the number of steps to the temple".

"Wow… is that true?" asked Miyu her eyes wide with the kind of excitement one would see in teenagers.

And on and on it went as Kanata sat in wonder, looking between his mother and his… er… Miyu as they continued to chatter away excitedly, smiling and giggling away. Kanata was beyond surprised when Miyu began to confide in his mother about the accident and about her hospitalization.

He excused himself from the living room and made his way to his old bedroom.

I went into my bedroom and was not at all surprised to find it exactly how I had left it. I climbed onto my futon and made myself comfortable over it. I lay on my back with my hands pillowing my head and staring at the wooden roof… with a lot of things running through my head.

One. My fiancée is cheating with her ex.

Two. Her ex is a married man.

Three. I'm in love with his wife.

Four. I think she likes me too.

Geez…

Why can't life be easier?

Why can't we just see someone… fall in love… and live happily ever after?

Why is that so hard?

Why should it become this twisted?

What went wrong?

I sighed.

It came as a shock when I found out her medical background. She had been admitted for quite a few months in intensive care at Matsuzawa and her marriage to Mizuki had been something of an escape route for her… a family… a citizenship… to continue to be cared by Mizuki's elder sister—Miyu's one and only well-wisher back then.

I looked at my hand and felt it was still warm from the hug back at the bell tower. She had cried and cried till she couldn't cry anymore. It was only after that did she tell me the entire story.

She spoke about her trauma at losing her only family, her hospitalization, the whirlwind wedding, her only family now—Yamamuras… and how she didn't want to lose another family. It was evident from her eyes that she was scared to revert back to those horrible months at the hospital.

"God!" I sighed closed my eyes hard with both my hands as I remembered how I ended up wiping away her tears, holding both her cheeks tenderly and placing my cold lips against her wet pink ones.

"I've sinned," I muttered under my breath as I remembered how much I just enjoyed kissing a married woman in the premises of Buddha, "I'm going to hell for sure".

**Head over Heels**

"Where is she?" I asked my mom as I finally walked into the kitchen where she was bustling around, making dinner.

"I asked her to take a bath and go visit the shrine," she said and with an afterthought added, "alone."

I smirked as I leaned against the kitchen cabinet as I asked, "The shrine or the bath…?"

My mom chuckled, a musical sound, something that I grew up with.

"She really changed you…" she said, with a smile.

I scoffed and said playing with a carrot as I managed to sit atop a kitchen counter, "I was like this as long as I can remember".

"With me, yes…" she saved the carrot from me and dropping it into a boiling pan finished, "with other girls… no".

"Mum…" I started gravely.

"This is not right Kanata…" she said in barely more than a whisper, "we didn't raise you to fraternize with married women… if your father hears about this…"

"He'll be thrilled that I'm at least fraternizing with the right kind of species!" I said and asked, "Where is he by the way?"

"Some function in the neighbouring town… will be back by midnight he said".

"Why can't the old man just stay the night there?" I asked, knowing the answer before it came.

"Cause he can't be away from me even for a night".

Even after so many years of marriage a blush managed to creep onto my mum's cheeks.

BOING!

"Huh? What was that…?" I wondered out loud at the sudden noise that erupted outside, breaking the silence of the night.

BOING!

"It's the bell" my mum offered.

"Oh," I said out loud and realized what the sounds meant.

After an entire minute of silence, I told my mother what I came here to tell her, "I'm going to breakup with Akira tomorrow…"

She turned to me and smiled.

"And I will tell her clearly the reason why".

"Which is?" she asked with an obvious grin.

"My mum said no?" I said, tilting my eyebrows earning a playful hit from her on my arms.

"Fine," I surrendered.

My mom looked expectant.

"Cause I'm in love with Miyu".

My mother placed a soft kiss on my cheeks, giving me all the courage that I need.

"I love you Kanata," she said.

"Me too mom," I muttered under my breath, a little embarrassed.

**End Chapter 12**


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